Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze effects of parent education programs which were reported in 22 theses during 1990-2001 through meta-analysis. For this, 191 effect sizes were calculated and mean effect size was analyzed and compared according to variables such as dependent variables, types of parent education, number of participants, characteristics of participants' children, place of education, number of sessions, the types of program facilitator, and whether it was administered through small group or home-visit. The results showed that the overall mean effect size was found to be .73, indicating that parent education was highly effective in overall. When mean effect sizes were compared according to dependent variables included to measure the effect of each parent education, parents' self-improvement was found to be more affected than changes in children or parent-child relationship. Among the types of parent education program, programs developed for specific purpose were found to be more effective than authorized public programs. Also, programs including 13-20 participants and focusing on parents with children of different ages were found to be more effective. The implications for implementing parent education were discussed in the context of program development and implementation.